[Sub ID 4759] Tenancy and Mentoring Program (Anglican Community Services)

Submission ID: 4759
Organisation name: Anglican Community Services
Contact name: Mrs Glenda Devlin
State: NSW
Contact email: glenda.devlin@anglicare.org.au
Contact number: 0421583406

Which priority group of the Try, Test and Learn Fund does your idea support?
Young parents

What need or issue are you trying to address?
Young single parents are significantly at risk of long term unemployment. 4370 young parents were receiving parenting payments in 2014-5 and current information suggests 70% will still be receiving income support in 10 years and 40% in 20 years (DSS Valuation Report 2015). Young parents are more likely to be an Aboriginal woman, live in rural or regional areas, have been raised in single parent, low income households and have mothers with low educational achievement (NATSEM 2016; ABS 2015).

Anglicare’s experience suggests that young parents wishing to work are likely to face numerous barriers. These include having secure housing, affordable childcare, opportunities to gain necessary education and skills and employment options (particularly in regional areas). The Australian Priority Investment Approach Policy Hack (2017) surveyed the data and suggested that interventions to increase literacy and numeracy and obtain a diploma or certificate are likely to improve employment prospects. Employment prospects may also be increased if young parents can see the value of education and self-improvement in the context of inter-generational unemployment (Berry et al, 2007) and have skills in emotional self-regulation.

What is your idea?
Provide temporary supported accommodation with wrap around supports targeting young single parents at risk of homelessness, with interrupted educational pathways and poor employment trajectories. The model has a three pronged approach – supported housing, mentoring and skills development with an outcome focus of restoring employment and education pathways and reducing intergenerational transmission of welfare dependency. Some of the supported housing could be provided in our Retirement Village precincts providing access to mentoring and support by retirees who would be skilled and trained as volunteers to provide a wider, connected social network of support for these families.

Essential elements of the model include:
• Provision of supported accommodation for a period of 12 months with guarantee of tenancy
• Skills development (parenting, self-care and emotional regulation)
• Capacity building and support to enable transition to either education/training or employment pathways (Aged Care Villages also provide employment opportunities)
• A new technology platform using apps to build capacity and provide ongoing support after program exit
• Screened and trained mentors from Residential Aged Care villages to assist young parents set and obtain new life and employment goals